Electrophotographic printers, such as digital proofing and other printing machines produce single color or multicolored prints of an original document. A photoconductor film secured to a carrier member is first charged to a uniform potential to sensitize its imaging surface. The charged surface of the photoconductor film is exposed to an image of the original document, and records an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the informational areas contained within the image of the original document. The latent image is developed with liquid toners or inks. This imaging process may be repeated for each process color, with the images sequentially recorded on the photoconductor film. Typically, magenta, cyan, yellow, and black inks are the four standard colors, and additional special colors also may be used. The developed image is transferred from the photoconductor film to a print medium. Heat and pressure permanently transfer the image to the print medium to complete the process.
Generally, both a concentrate and a replenisher ink in each color is required. Each color has its own tank, valves, plumbing, and developer. If the wrong color ink is installed into a plumbing system, the machine will not print properly and long down-time periods in the field result.
Color coded keying systems for preventing the mismatching of components is well known. However, color coding can not prevent mismatched components from being placed together.
Key and keyway systems also are well known. These systems are commonly known to lock caps on containers such as with drug containers to prevent easy opening. These systems also are used to maintain a proper alignment between two components. Some examples of these systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,730 to Pehr, U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,459 to DeJonge, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,700 to Jupin et al. However, while these systems are known to secure together or align two components, their use for preventing the joining of two components is not documented. As discussed above, there is a need for a key-keyway system to prevent the connecting of improper components such as ink bottles to ink plumbing systems.